Cline on FreeGameStore

Build a free game using Cline. The agent reads the platform's SKILLS.md and knows the brand rules, the CLI, and the deploy flow before it writes a line of code.

Before you start: install Node 22+ and the FreeGameStore CLI.
npm i -g @freegamestore/cli fgs login

Set up Cline

  1. Install the Cline extension

    Open VS Code → Extensions → search "Cline" and install. Provide your API key (Anthropic / OpenAI / OpenRouter / etc.) in the extension settings.

  2. Scaffold the game
    fgs init my-game --template canvas code my-game
  3. Add platform context to .clinerules

    Cline reads .clinerules at the project root:

    cat > .clinerules <<'EOF' # Platform: FreeGameStore Always follow https://freegamestore.online/skills.md. Hard rules: - Manrope + Fraunces fonts only. - Brand CSS tokens via var(--accent), var(--ink), var(--paper). - Zero tracking SDKs. - Use the Shell component for layout. - Push to main = deploy. Plan-then-act: use Plan mode for changes spanning multiple files; Act mode for single-file edits. EOF
  4. Open Cline (sidebar icon or Cmd-Shift-P → Cline)

    Cline operates with a Plan/Act split: plan first, then execute. You approve each step.

Prompt the build

Build a markdown notes game: list of notes in the sidebar, full markdown editor in the main pane, live preview tab, JSON import/export. Use the Shell component.
Take my counter game and add multiple named counters (create, rename, delete). Each counter has its own +/- buttons and history. Persist all of them.

Iterate

  1. Run the dev server
    cd my-game && pnpm install && pnpm dev

    The agent will tell you which file it edited; refresh the browser to see the change.

  2. Run compliance checks
    fgs check

    Catches missing brand fonts, tracking SDKs, oversized bundles, and missing PWA manifest before publish.

  3. Publish
    fgs publish --store games

    Provisions github.com/freegamestore-online/my-game, the Cloudflare Pages project, the DNS record, custom subdomain at my-game.freegamestore.online, and the storefront entry — atomically.

  4. Push your code
    git push upstream main

    Auto-deploys via Cloudflare Pages in ~30 seconds. Future commits to main deploy automatically.

What the AI knows (and doesn't ask you for)

Once SKILLS.md is loaded, the agent will:

The compliance suite (fgs check) enforces all of the above on every push, so even if the AI slips, the platform catches it.

Get the source

The CLI, SDK, and compliance package live at https://github.com/freegamestore-online/platform. Reading the source is allowed — and often illuminating when you're trying to coax a difficult prompt.

Tips for Cline specifically